Thursday, January 30, 2014

Shruti Nagvanshi, born on 2nd
January 1975 in the city of Varanasi is an Indian social activist committed to
promote social justice and defend civil rights of the marginalised and vulnerable sections in
the caste ridden Indian society in order to overcome their social exclusion. She
brings to her work 15 years of direct experience with marginalised communities
mainly the untouchable caste known as Dalits, women and children in the eastern
part of Uttar Pradesh.

A dedicated social worker, Shruti
has been the District General Secretary of Bachpan Bachao Andolan (Save
Childhood Movement), a national movement against child labour from 1996 to 1997.
Shruti is the founder of Savitri Bai Phule Women’s Forum, a social organisation
which works for the empowerment of women members to fight against social evils
like caste and gender based discrimination and the Hindu conservative patriarchal
value system. The organisation draws inspiration from Savitri Ba Phule who was
the first Indian woman to become a teacher and founder of the first shelter
home for the battered women victims. When her husband died Savitri went against
the social traditions by accompanying the dead body and also lighted the pyre. The
Forum celebrates 10th March as Indian Women’s Day, as this is the death
anniversary of Savitri Ba Phule.

In 1999, Shruti became the founder trustee and
managing trustee of Jan Mitra Nyas (People Friendly Trust), the governing body of
People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights, (PVCHR) Varanasi. Jan Mitra Nyas
is a public charitable trust, for carrying out work on crucial issues of
governance and human rights in the adopted villages around Varanasi in Uttar
Pradesh. Shruti has been the co-initiator of Jan Mitra villages (People
Friendly Village), which works for the civil and political rights of vulnerable
Dalit community and focuses especially on issues related to women and children
based on the ideals enshrined the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of
United Nations Assembly of 1948.

People’s Vigilance Committee on
Human Rights, (PVCHR) was formed in 1996 in collaboration with famous Hindi
poet Gyanendra Pati, internationally well known Sarod maestro Vikash Maharaj,
Historian Dr. Mahendra Pratap Singh and Human Rights activist and her husband
Dr. Lenin. The approach of the organization is two-fold: to have a strong
grassroots organization to work for the democratic rights of those in
marginalized communities and secondly, to create the structure and dynamics to
receive the assistance of national and international institutions. PVCHR, a “peoples’ forum” is located in Varanasi
in the eastern region of Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Though there has been a plethora of laws in
Indian constitution that prohibits the practice of treating people as
“untouchables” or subhuman for many decades, the practice still persists in
Indian society. PVCHR works as a guiding force to bring about social change.

During the past eleven years Shruti
with the help of the organisation has taken up around 3500 cases of
discrimination against women, children and Dalit community. Efforts of her
organisation have been able to secure interventions by the Government,
Commissions and administration (namely local panchayat administration) on almost
three hundred cases. Out of these some two hundred cases had positive results.
These are the cases taken up personally by her, besides many other cases taken
up on behalf of her organisation.

Shruti has been the convenor of
Voice of People, state wide joint alliance of civil society organisations working
for the promotion of children rights since October 2013. Shruti has also severed
on the District Food and Supply Advisory Committee of Varanasi as a member
appointed by Governor of Uttar Pradesh. In
recognition of her contribution, she has been awarded HT Women Appreciation
Certificate by the leading Indian daily English newspaper, The Hindustan Times.
Shruti has also been honoured by Shri P.L.Punia, Chairperson, National Commission
for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes for her commendable work for Dalit
rights.

Shruti participated in Gwangju
Human Rights Award ceremony in 2007 in South Korea along with her husband Dr.
Lenin who received 2007 Gwangju Human Rights Award from May 18 Foundation along
with Ms. Sharmila Irom of Manipur.

Shruti attended the Star Peace
award from Association for Communal Harmony in Asia (ACHA) in the US in 2008.

Shruti participated in International
Human Rights Award ceremony in 2010 in the City Council of Weimar in Germany.

Shruti has written many articles in
both Hindi and English languages. Her article about corporal punishment of
Dalit Mushar children in school of Pindara, Varanasi in India published in
sarokar.net and then published on editorial page of National Hindi daily
‘Jansatta’, which became a suo-motto petition and taken up by the High Court of
Uttar Pradesh. Intervention of High Court brought the justice and hope for the dalit
children.

Shruti was born and brought up in a
middle class family as the eldest child. Her father was employed with the Life
Insurance Company. She studied up to intermediate (Pre-University studies) at
Basant Kanya Vidyalaya founded by Annie Beasant of the Theosophical Society of
India. Since her childhood days, Shruti nourished the idea of a just and
equitable society and often used to get deeply disturbed by looking at the
existing social inequalities and exploitation and especially the widening gap between
the rich and the poor in her native city of Varanasi where poor people were often
forced to go to bed without food. Despite family opposition to her ideas, Shruti
took up the challenge to work and help the poor and the deprived.

Shruti got married to Dr. Lenin on
22 February, 1992. Despite all social pressures from her family, she daily
walked two kilometres to Uday Pratap College and completed her graduation. Mother
of a boy child, Shruti is also an example of someone who has balanced her work
life with family life exceptionally well. Her life is a shining example of
working for the society selflessly and making the best use of knowledge for the
civil and political rights of the less privileged sections of the society.

Born on 2 January 1975 at Varanasi

Married to Lenin Raghuvanshi on 22 February 1992; has a 15 year old
son, Kabeer Karunik

1993: District General Secretary of Bachapan Bachao Andolan (Save
the Childhood Movement), Varanasi.

2004: Created Model Village "people Friendly Village"
to enable and amplify the voice of the marginalized with especial focus on realization on child
right in field.

2004: Organized Benaras Convention in order to assert the
discourse on the politics of marginalized people in the national mainstream.
The convention attended by thinkers and activists across the nation unanimously
declared that the City of Varanasi was the symbol of Shraman Sanskriti (culture
of the working classes) as opposed to that of the Brahminical Sanskriti
(Culture of the feudal classes).

2005: Conceived and convened People's SAARC at Varanasi in Uttar
Pradesh. The objective was to bring the issues faced by the people of SAARC
countries on to a common platform and forge a forum based on people to people
relationship to fight against the evil designs of caste, communal, ethnic, and
fascist forces in the region. The most important declaration read, "We
cherish and uphold the Rule of Law, sovereignty of the people, a system of
governance that ensures devolution of power, People' right to self-rule and
control over resources." The core committee comprised of PVCHR (India),
INSEC (Nepal), People's Forum for Human Rights (Bhutan), Human Rights
Commission of Pakistan, LOKOJ (Bangladesh) and Wiroslokh Institute
(Srilanka).This convention also triggered off a series of similar conventions
across the SAARC countries. Two major outcomes of the convention were the
inclusion of Afghanistan in the SAARC, and the inclusion of civil society
voices in the decision making process adopted in the Dhaka declaration in
SAARC, 2005.

2007: Established Folk School for Dalits in Belwa region.

2007: PVCHR and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) along
with 210 NGOs across the state conducted the Uttar Pradesh Election Watch
(UPEW). The objective was to sensitize the electors about the governance
processes. By providing background information of the candidates, UPEW
facilitated for the citizens of Uttar Pradesh to make informed choices.

2007: Participated in 2007 Gwangju Human Rights Award of May 18
Foundation of South Korea.

2010: Participated in 2010 International Human Rights Award
ceremony at City council of Weimar in Germany.

2011: Received Usmania Award from Madarsa Usmania, Bazardiha,
Varanasi in India for the development and welfare of education.

Dear Friends,Greetings from PVCHR/JMNNational Alliance on Testimonial Therapy (NATT) in collaboration with the Dignity: Danish Institute Against Torture is organizing National Consultation for preparing the Alternate Reports to the IV and V Periodic Report for its review by the CEDAW Committee in July 2014. It is a part of a year for Stayagarha for Neo dalit.

Therefore, NATT is inviting you to join in this National Consultation at Patna, Bihar on 12th April, and give your specific inputs and any other special concerns to the preparation of the IV and V Alternate Report.

We are looking forward to highly engaging discussion and enthusiastic inputs from all of you. We will be able to provide Sleeper class Train or Bus fare. The detail of the venue and logistics will be shared shortly.

Monday, January 27, 2014

"India is not a true democracy," said Anup Srivastava, a researcher
with the People's Vigilance Commission on Human Rights in Varanasi who
is investigating complaints filed by Dalits about
discrimination among neighbors, in schools, at hospitals and at work.
"The country is independent. But the people aren't. How can there be a
democracy when there are still people known as untouchables who face
daily discrimination?"

Saturday, January 25, 2014

India is the
world’s largest liberal democracy. After its independence from the British colonial
rule in 1947 India adopted the path of social and economic development and
modernisation. The growth process led to increased levels of literacy,
education, wealth, and social mobilization. Decades after the economic reforms
in 1990 India achieved the economic status which is often portrayed as among
the success stories of the developing world. This national progress was not
without its pitfalls. Almost after more than 60 years of independence, a large
section of Indian population still complain for not availing the benefits of
development. The most marginalised sections of Indian society mainly the tribals,
minority communities especially the Muslims and lower castes also known as
Untouchables still live in stark poverty and without any civil and political
rights.

India may be
known as one of the world’s oldest living civilisations with a vibrant culture
and diversity of its people and languages. Paradoxically, this enormous Indian
diversity also hides a darker side in the shadows of its culture known as the
caste system. Embedded in Indian culture for the past many centuries, the Hindu
caste system is considered as one of the world's longest surviving forms of
social stratification. It divides society into social classes or castes and
this graded inequality has the sanction of classical Indian religious
scriptures.

In India the
caste hierarchy dictates the lives of its citizens even today. The tribals,
Muslims and the lower caste or untouchable communities face discrimination and
oppression due to their social status. As a result they have been further
marginalised in the society and denied their basic rights. The People’s
Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR), Varanasi took up the challenging and
exemplary task to raise voice against the social, political, cultural and
economic discrimination being practiced against the “Untouchable” communities
mainly the Mushahars and the human rights violations of the minority Muslims in
the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.[i]

Mushahar
means “mouse-eaters”. They are considered “Untouchable” – people tainted by
their birth into a caste system that deems them impure, less than human.
Mushahar are relegated to the lowest jobs and live in constant fear of being
publicly humiliated, paraded naked, beaten, and raped with impunity by
upper-caste Hindus seeking to keep them in their place. Merely walking through
an upper-caste neighbourhood is a life-threatening offence. The main business
for them, even today, is to kill rats.

Despite the
fact that untouchability was officially banned when India adopted its
constitution in 1950, discrimination against lower castes and Musahar has
remained so pervasive. In order to
prevent discrimination based on caste and religion, the government passed
legislation in 1989 known as The Prevention of Atrocities Act. The act
specifically made it illegal to parade people naked through the streets, force
them to eat faeces, take away their land, foul their water, interfere with
their right to vote, and burn down their homes. Many of the youngest in the
community do not found entry in the schools since the upper castes do not want
their children to study along with the Musahar children. Since then, the
violence has escalated largely as a result of the emergence of a grassroots
human rights movement among Musahar to demand their rights and resist the
dictates of untouchability. After the sustained efforts and various community
capacity building programme in Mushahar localities by People’s Vigilance
Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR), the community has gradually undergone many
changes as they have gained confidence to resist caste based atrocities and now
they are gradually opting for alternative sources of food by changing their
diet. Many of them can now afford to eat pork, chicken and fish.

In December
2013 PVCHR successfully completed the project on “Reducing police Torture
against Muslims at Grass Roots Level by Engaging and Strengthening Human Rights
Institutions in India” with the support of European Union. The project was
implemented in the four districts of Uttar Pradesh namely; Aligarh, Meerut,
Moradabad and Varanasi. The experiences of the project revealed that in India
the poorest members of the religious minorities have been the targets of all
kinds of discriminations, torture, cruel and degrading treatment. Muslim
minority has been no exception as far as social prejudices are concerned. In a
caste driven social and economic structure of Indian society there is a deep
rooted perceptions about Muslim community as being inferior category in the
given caste hierarchy. They are viewed below the status of the most deprived
lower castes or untouchables. This perception has helped in justifying the acts
of torture and other degrading treatment with greater acceptance to the use of
torture against the Muslim community. Discrimination has taken institutional
form and its manifestation can be seen in the working of crucial constitutional
institutions of public importance like police and judiciary. Religious bias
against Muslims has been found all pervasive in legal institutions and
governing structure. An analysis of total 806 cases after the completion of fact
finding exercises from January 2011 to April 2013, it has been observed and
testified by the survivors that many of them were subjected to torture just
because they belonged to the minority Muslim community.

Conflicts
arising out of religious differences and violations of human rights of the
marginalized sections especially Muslim minority have reached at a stage where
they pose an imminent threat to the survival of democratic values and
governance system. In an attempt to develop a communication framework so as to
bring together policy makers, legislators, social activists from Muslim
community and human rights defenders, an “Interface meeting was organized with
the Parliamentarian, policy makers and political parties on the issue of Muslim
minority in Uttar Pradesh” on 9th December, 2013 in Constitution Club in New
Delhi. The programme was jointly organized by People’s Vigilance Committee on
Human Rights (PVCHR), Varanasi and Human Rights Law Network (HRLN), New Delhi
with the support from European Union and Dignity: Danish Institute Against
Torture. A comprehensive report, “Repression, Despair and Hope” - Mapping of
Police torture in four districts of Uttar Pradesh and Strengthening Human
Rights Institutions” was released on the occasion. PVCHR also screened a 36
minutes long documentary titled “Muslim & Police: A Perspective”. The
documentary was prepared on the basis of interactions for almost three months
at the grass root level with the members of Muslim community in various Muslim
dominated districts of Uttar Pradesh. The film chronicled in historical
perspective the role and status of the Indian Muslims and highlighted the views
of the members of Muslim community reflecting on their deprivation in the
fields of education, employment, business, socio economic development,
political representation and physical and psychological insecurities.

Lenin
Raghuvanshi is the Secretary General and Executive Director of PVCHR. He has
been working for the rights of bonded and child labourers and other marginalized
people in Varanasi and eastern part of Uttar Pradesh in India. In 1996, he and
his wife Shruti founded the PVCHR, a community-based organization; to break the
closed, feudal hierarchies prevail in conservative Indian villages and urban slums
by building up local institutions and supporting them with a high profile and
active human rights network. He has become the symbol of nonviolent resistance
among the Musahar communities fighting for dignity. Due to his commitment on
behalf of the marginalized, he has periodically suffered death threats.

Rightly Lenin Raghuvanshi says, “Change
the word "Race" by "caste", the word "Angola" by
"Kashmir", the word "Mozambique" by "North East
states”, the word "South Africa" by" dalit Ghetto" and the
word "African" by "Indian" in the song of Bob Marley,the renownedJamaican singer-songwriter, then you can
have an Indian revolutionary song[ii]”

Until the philosophy which hold one
race superior and another inferior

Is finally and permanently discredited
and abandoned -

Everywhere is war -

Me say war.

That until there no longer first class
and second class citizens of any nation.

Until the colour of a man's skin is of
no more significance than the colour of his eyes -

Lenin believes that "India's many
problems are interconnected. In order to understand and solve them, they must
not be divided. What is needed is a comprehensive multi-layer and
multi-dimensional approach that takes into account economic, cultural, political
and social factors.” Lenin Raghuvanshi and his organization PVCHR are actively
attempting to fill this opportunity space by courting constructive dialogue
with other of all stripes and ideological leanings. Focusing on the diversity
of caste experience, rather than counter-intuitive to movement goals of
creating Dalit self-esteem, represents a primary step toward creating lasting
structural change in the process of creating Dalit self-esteem. Dialogic
interaction among different castes is making this clear. For an independent
society, education is a primary requirement. Therefore PVCHR creates space for
free thoughts – folk school, schools and kindergartens teach basics from the
grassroots level. Model village process of the PVCHR is a unique way of the
non-violent peoples’ movement based on inculcating empowerment of hope, honour
and human dignity.[iv]

According to Lenin, unless Indian
society deals with the injustices of the caste system head-on, it will not
attack social conflict at its root. Translating these convictions into action,
Lenin has built local, national, and regional institutions that challenge
caste. His People's Vigilance Committee for Human Rights (PVCHR) is a large
membership organization that draws in people from different walks of life.
Among its fifty thousand members in five northern states, three thousand are
former torture victims whom the Committee has helped. Their solidarity
demonstrates how Lenin is creatively building an inclusive social movement.
Also participating are famous intellectuals whose integrity and credibility
raise the coalition's public image.

The father of independent India, Mohandas Gandhi, clad in his
homespun loincloth, launched his nationalist movement to defy colonialism by
encouraging Indians to stop wearing cheap British machine-made cloth in favor
of Indian-made fabrics, partly as a gesture of self-reliance. The hand-loomed
saris from Varanasi became a national symbol for India's independence.[v]

Varanasi Sari, a
six yard long piece of cloth, signifies the elegance, charm, grace and beauty
of Indian women, with almost eight hundred years old tradition, has an
important niche in the cultural contours of India. For centuries Varanasi was
the cradle of ancient Indian tradition in the tailoring of the Sari. Today
however, the lives of the weavers (or creators) of these wonderful saris are
not as beautiful as the creation itself. Majority of small artisans and their
families, though mostly on the brink of survival (on average they work 10 -12
hours a day to earn about 0.5 dollar), are dependent on this traditional craft
for a living. In the era of globalization, the traditional art of hand weaving
of the Baranasi sari is under serious threat by electrical looms and also by
new technologies coming from China. The life of the weavers, passing through a
time of crisis, is characterized by abject poverty, chronic malnutrition,
varied health hazards and even starvation death and suicides.[vi]

Lenin
Raghuvanshi said "This is the ugly, painful side of globalization. It's
a real crisis. If India is booming, you don't see it among weavers or farmers
or other rural laborers, which is to say most of the country,"
"Helping those left behind is India's greatest challenge."

Lenin,
despite his name, does not want to overthrown the capitalist system; he wants
to bring it in. He wants to eliminate feudalism but preserve the art of
weaving, using the Internet to market handcrafted silk. For this he needs to
unravel the free trade agreements made by the Indian government under the
WTO.

This is not a Ghandian type of thing, this is a democratic
capitalist thing: we want to create a weavers' trust, a joint company to cut
out the middlemen and sell our produce to the world direct. I want to eliminate
the feudal system but in the feudal system some things are good. No body wants
to destroy the Taj Mahal for instance! In the same way I think it is possible
to preserve our economic status, our social rights and our art.[vii]

Despite economic
growth, a majority of the Indian population still lives in extreme poverty and
disease. Behind India's new-found economic strength are 300 million poor people
that live on less than $1 per day. Government figures may indicate a reduction
in poverty. But the truth is, with increasing global food prices, poverty is
spreading everywhere like a swarm of locusts. These pictures are taken in rural
areas where conditions are worse than the cities and where close to 70% of
India's population reside today. Statistics show that 2.1 million children
under 5 years old die of malnutrition annually.

Advocacy at national and international fora
has succeeded in prioritizing hunger in Government expenditure policy. Active
mobilization of the poor Dalit, weavers and Muslim has forced political parties
to include the improvement of Dalit, weaver and Muslim with elimination of
hunger and malnutrition in their electoral manifesto. The liberation from
social inhibitions has resulted in creation of Martyrs' domes in village where
hunger deaths occurred and has created a pool of indigenous hunger activists
among the poor. As a result of PVCHRs' pressure the UP Panchayat Act was
amended to include a clause which directed each local self-Government of
village to hold a fund of Rupees one thousand to mitigate emergency hunger
situation.

Neo Dalit movement is a sign of hope,
honour and human dignity for most marginalized people facing discrimination
based on race, caste, religion and gender. Nelson Mandela legacy is path for
PVCHRs' Neo dalit movement to bring unity of different communities against
Caste system, feudalism, Communal-fascism and Neo- Liberalism in India through
reconciliation for justice.[viii]

With less financial resources, but rich
with confidence and conviction, Lenin in a short period of time has managed to
amplify the voice of the marginalized in national and international fora
through "Peoples SAARC", rehabilitation and resettlement of weavers
of Varanasi; Benaras Convention; Election Watch; prevention of torture; voice
against hunger and many such activities. Recognition by the international
community of Dr Lenin's work is indeed the recognition for the millions whose
hopes and aspirations rest on his slender shoulders.

“Introspect to realize what went wrong,
only then you find new approaches to engage with various problems of India.

To get in touch with the many problems,
still existing in Indian society, the work of Lenin,Shruti and PVCHR should be a symbol to feel and
don’t forget, what’s still worth to fight for-the beauty and variety of India
and its people. Don’t leave them behind!

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Last year during the month of December,2012 the whole country witnessed a series of protest and condemnation in Nirbhaya rape[v] case but a deafening silence on the part of the civilized civil society groups on the reported 13 incidents of rape and molestation of riot affected women of Muzaffarnagar till 5 November, 2013 puts a question mark on their role in society.

The incidents of molestation and mindless killings during the communal violence of Muzaffarnagar and consequent blocking of the news clearly speak of a nexus among the Hindu fascist force, communal section of media in local, administration and communal forces from Muslim community. It clearly confirms the remarks made by the renowned Anglo-Irish political thinker and philosopher, Edmond Burke on India, “In that Country the law of religion, the laws of the land, and the law of honour, are all united and consolidated in one, and bind a man eternally to the rule of what is called his caste.”

Monday, January 13, 2014

About the visit of Ms. Parul Sharma to Varanasi,Jaunpur and Sonbadra of UP,India,where Swedish donors supported different projects through Ms.Parul Sharma ji to PVCHR and JMN(www.pvchr.asia).Thanks to all 200 hundred Swedish donors by PVCHR,Dr. Lenin Raghuvanshi and Ms. Parul Sharma.

________________________________________________In reference to the displaced
riot victims as internally displaced person[i]
mostly poor Muslims lodged in pathetic
conditions in the relief camps of communal riot-hit Muzaffarnagar district,
Uttar Pradesh in India after the communal violence, forcible eviction of women survivors
from shelter camps by the state government, dismantling the temporary
make-shift shelters, playing dirty politics on the deaths of innocent children
and violations of the human rights of the survivors of communal riots.

Issues:

No action taken by the state government and police administration on the
miserable plight of the displaced persons from the poor minority Muslim
community who are affected by the communal violence, no concrete measures to provide
relief and rehabilitate to the survivors and removal of relief camps by police with the brutal force.

______________________________________________

5, January, 2014
Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, India

Dear
friends,

On December 2013, a joint committee formed
by the Voice of People(VOP) and People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights
(PVCHR) visited the riot affected areas of Muzaffarnagar to take stock of the
situation after three months of the rioting which took place in Uttar Pradesh. The
shocking reports of infant deaths in the ill-equipped relief camps due to the
onset of winter were making the headlines in the national dailies. One could
very well imagine the grim situation in which people were living under just
plastic sheets held up with bamboo sticks in these camps. A look at the
sprawling shelter camps conveyed the horrifying story of hatred. In these
circumstances it was necessary to visit the affected areas to assess the ground
realities. Some families, who got the compensation, had already left the camps.
But those families, who were left, had no place to go to live safely. They were
forced to live in the dilapidated tents in these make shift camps. But life has not been easy for them in camps.
They are being forced by the administration to move from their camps. Even the
state administration is trying to get rid of its responsibilities by dismantling
these camps with the help of bulldozers. Representatives of various political
parties are engaged in accusing each other instead of visiting the survivors in
relief camps and arranging relief material and services for them. Children and
women from the minority community living in the camps are denied of their basic
rights available to all citizens such as protection and rehabilitation.

As the news of the rioting came in, we
wrote letters to National Human Rights Commission, Minority Commission and the
Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Government for immediate relief and
rehabilitation. Social activists of the organisation immediately prepared a
report after the riots and sent it to the administration. People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights
(PVCHR), Varanasi and Human Rights Law Network (HRLN), New Delhi released a
report[ii]
on the socio economic conditions of Muslim minority in Uttar Pradesh along with
a video documentary on the issue[iii].
An interface meeting was also organized with the Parliamentarian, policy makers
and political parties on the issue of Muslim minority in Uttar Pradesh in the
Indian capital, New Delhi. During a live discussion on the plight of victims in
relief camps broadcast on Rajya Sabha national television channel, Dr. Lenin
Raghuvanshi briefly explained about the initiative launched by the People’s
Vigilance Committee and Voice of People and appealed to various other
organisations to help in relief efforts. Various donor agencies like CARITAS India,
Catholic Relief Services, Child Rights and You (CRY) and European Union
announced the economic relief package for riot victims living in camps through
OXFAM[iv].
Clippings of the testimonies and interviews with the survivors living in relief
camps after Muzaffarnagar riots are attached here:

On
December 23 in the afternoon I got a call from Meherunisha, a survivor of
communal riots of Muzaffarnagar. She told me they have been forcibly evicted
from the relief camp and they have no other place to go. She said, “Where can
we go now? For god sake help us, we desperately need your help.” Meherunish was
crying inconsolably for help. She was repeatedly saying “where can they go in
this chilly winter? She said at present she is outside a house in the village
at Gokulpur with her little children and mother-in-law. Many other families
like her need help who have no place to stay. Madrasa management all of a
sudden removed their tents, they kept on requesting but they did not
listen”. We immediately informed the
Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Akhillesh Yadav, National Human Rights
Commission and the Central Government through an e mail and registered post and
appealed all of them to intervene immediately to help the riot victims.

Our
team with four members which included Dr. Lenin Raghuvanshi (Director, People’s
Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR), Major (Dr.) Himanshu Singh, a
renowned social worker of Meerut, Mohammed Taj, a human rights worker and
myself, Shruti Nagvanshi, (Convener, Voice of People, Uttar Pradesh) visited
the temporary relief shelter camp built in open space for riot victims at
Islamia Madrasa in Shahpur village on December 21, 2013. Some of the families
from this camp had already left to an unknown destination. There was filth and
grime everywhere. Those staying in the camp were mainly daily wager labourers.
On December 23, residents of this camp were forcibly evicted and asked to go
back to their homes. This created a problem for them because they had no place
to go. They did not want to go to their original village due to fear because
they somehow escaped from their village to save their lives. Their houses were
already ransacked by the unruly crowd. Survivors told us that they were taken
to their villages to do a survey in official vehicles and when they saw the
roof tops of their houses were missing, they told the officials that there is
nothing left for them so how can they go back and put their lives in danger
once again.

One
of the survivors in her self-testimony said in a painful voice, “A panchayat
held in Mandore on September 7 changed the course of our lives. For generations
we had been living in our village. We are daily wage workers, whatever work we
used to get, we used to earn our livelihood with that. But during the panchayat
there was a fight between Jats and Muslims in which two persons from Jat
community were killed. When their bodies were brought to the village, all hell
broke out. A group of people from Jat community started driving us out from our
houses. We somehow managed to escape and survived. Earlier we were living
together in peace but now the same people were out to threaten and kill us.
They were very angry; they were carrying arms in their hands. We were unable to
understand as to what exactly was happening and why? Everyone was running in
whichever direction one could to save themselves and their families. Had we not
acted quickly, we would have been killed along with our children. Either our
children would have been killed; if not, then we would have become the target. We
were destined to suffer in any case”.

In Shahpura Islamia Madrasa camp around 300 affected families were
living from different villages such as Sisoli, Hadoli, Kakde, Soram and Goila.
At present 82 families were left in the make shift tents who were also driven
out of their homes on December 23. Among these families there were five pregnant
women who were having a pregnancy period running in between 5 to 7 months. They
were as follows: 1-Afsana, age 19, w/o Wajid, 2- Parveen, age 30, w/o Aslam, 3-
Shamshida, age 30, w/o Aas Mohammed, 4-Sanjida, age 26, w/o Mehboob, 5- Momina,
age 30, w/o Dilshad.

Shahjana
of Kankre village, age 30, w/o Kamil works as a daily wage labourer in brick
making factory. When she came to the camp after saving her life and her family
from her village, she gave birth to a girl child. She was helped by her mother-in-law
during the delivery period. After eighth day of the birth the child became sick
and suffered from pneumonia. They tried to get her treated but finally the girl
could not survive and died. Shabana, age 30,w/o Nafis gave birth to a girl
child after two months in the camp, the girl also died after one week due to pneumonia.
Parveen, age 30, w/o Aslam said,“ We are living in the camp with great pain and
guilt. When we go out to nearby shops to buy essential items, people often make
remarks at us mockingly that we are greedy freeloaders and we are living in
camp for the sake of relief materials like blankets. We just ignore their
comments. In this shelter we pray to God for not letting anyone in such a
situation. During the nights puppies come and sleep at our temporary kitchen
and next morning we use the same kitchen to cook our food. It hurts our religious
sentiments but god is witness and he will forgive us”.

Mehrunisha
of Hadauli village told us, “My husband Sattar was missing during the riots. I
and my 70 years old mother-in-law remained disturbed and extremely worried
about his safety. After seven days we found him in Khatauli. After listening to his story we were in a
state of shock. In the evening when my husband was returning after selling
clothes, he was chased by three people from Jat community riding on motorbike.
He ran to save his life. But near a clinic they caught hold of my husband.
While they were about to attack him with a sharp edged weapon, they were
stopped by the doctor. When the doctor asked them the reasons to kill my
husband, they replied that they just want to kill him for no reason. Due to the
intervention of the doctor, my husband could flee the scene to save his life.
The doctor belonged to the Jat community and due to him my husband’s life was
saved. Had he not been there at the spot, my husband would have definitely been
killed. We are thankful to him for showing his courage to retrain those who
wanted to kill my husband. My husband fell ill due to the fear. I sold my gold
jewelleries to get his medical treatment. He is still in a state of shock. He
falls sick because of that experience. My sister has given him shelter and care.
I am in the relief camp along with my children and mother-in-law. After all, we
do not want to put the burden on our relatives.”

Chhoti
of Sisoli village, age 28, w/o Idrish gave birth to a girl child, Aaksha in the
relief camp. During the riots her brother Yasin was also present in Sisoli
village. He was injured when he was attacked by a sword for which he was
treated in Shahpur. Due to lack of proper medical facilities he has gone back
to his home but he has not received any compensation so far. Khaton, age 35,
w/o Noorhasan, has a two and half year old child. Besides her there are so many
families with little children who never received any care and medical treatment
here in the camp. We also came across an extremely disturbing fact that is,
people belonging to at least 15 families from Soram, Sisoli, Hadauli and Gorla
villages living in Shahpur relief camps were not considered as riot affected
families by the administration. Sisoli and Soram are better known for their
khap panchayats. Sisoli is also the village of a popular Jat Kisan leader. The
women told us that in Soram they were stripped naked, bullets were fired on
them, acid was also thrown but somehow they managed to flee and saved their
lives. They were also beaten by the police. Just a day before in Soram, Muslim
children returning from school were badly beaten. Masjid in Hadauli was burnt
down. Saleha, the daughter of Hakimu of Dulhera is still missing.

We
found that the soil in the camp was wet due to rain water and many places were
water-logged. In many tents grass layers were also completely wet. Women and
children took us to their tents to narrate their plight. They told us they do
not sleep during the wintry night because it is too cold. Children are falling sick due to exposure to
cold and others infections. With temperatures plummeting children, old people
and pregnant woman are especially at risk. After the riots doctors came to
visit on one or two occasions but after that nobody came. Whatever clothing
they had on their bodies, they sold them to arrange their medical treatment.
Even now many infant children, their mothers and many pregnant women are forced
to live in open areas in bone chilling cold while battling with poor conditions.

European
Union has announced a financial package of one lakh and fifty thousand Eruos to
help the survivors of communal riots of Muzaffarnagar and Shamli through OXFAM.
Organisation like Child Rights and You (CRY) has also decided to extend direct
assistance while taking into consideration the news of deaths of many children
in the area.

Around
nine thousand eight hundred and four (9804) children were estimated to be residing
in the relief camps established in Muzaffarnagar and Shamli. Among them many
children have died due to unpleasant conditions. Still there are many children
and pregnant women left in the camps who are facing difficult times due to the
lack of medical facilities and adequate care. They are the people who need the
utmost care and help. Last year during
the month of December,2012 the whole country witnessed a series of protest and condemnation
in Nirbhaya rape[v]
case but a deafening silence on the part of the civilized civil society groups
on the reported 13 incidents of rape and molestation of riot affected women of
Muzaffarnagar till 5 November, 2013 puts a question mark on their role in
society.

The
incidents of molestation and mindless killings during the communal violence of
Muzaffarnagar and consequent blocking of the news clearly speak of a nexus among
the Hindu fascist force, Communal section of media in local, administration and
communal forces from Muslim community. It clearly confirms the remarks made by
the renowned Anglo-Irish political thinker and philosopher, Edmond Burke on
India, “In that Country the law of
religion, the laws of the land, and the law of honour, are all united and
consolidated in one, and bind a man eternally to the rule of what is called his
caste.”

At
present the riot affected people living in the camps are facing forcible
eviction ordered by the administration. Their homes had already been ravaged.
They have no ancestral property in their original villages. They are not even
having the basic amenities available to citizens like ration card, MANREGA Job
card etc. These families are forced to live as displaced persons. Therefore, it
is crucial at this stage to identify those families who have been uprooted and displaced
due to the communal riots and programmes should be initiated to provide them
food security, housing, primary health care facilities for women and children
and education facilities.

Community
of psychologists would agree with the fact that these families require long
term medical care because human mind is adversely affected by the violent
incidents. The psychological trauma on the people is probably irreversible. The
situation also gives rise to various physical and mental disorders which in
turn also affects their work abilities, decision making and self-confidence. Low
temperatures during the winter season also cause serious troubles for children
and pregnant women who need special care and protection.

It
appears that in the ongoing blame game and fights between various political
parties, the riot victims have become mere pawns caught in a political game. Under
these circumstances all political parties should jointly work together to help
the riot affected people and should not indulge in misleading the general
public. There is also the need to immediately launch rehabilitation programmes
to protect the civil rights of the survivors without any discrimination and
restore their self-dignity. Emphasis should also be given to their
psychological and social restoration. As a reconciliatory measure, riot
affected gram panchayats should apologise the survivors for their troubles and
should work to rehabilitate them in their respective villages. If they fail to
do that, the administration should immediately withdraw development funds
earmarked for these gram panchayats.” From
report of Shruti
Nagvanshi (Convener, Voice of People, Uttar Pradesh)